Saturday, October 5, 2013

The Returned by Jason Mott

'Harold and Lucille
Hargrave's lives have been both joyful and sorrowful in the decades
since their only son, Jacob, died tragically at his eighth birthday
party in 1966. In their old age they've settled comfortably into life
without him, their wounds tempered through the grace of time ... Until
one day Jacob mysteriously appears on their doorstep—flesh and blood,
their sweet, precocious child, still eight years old.

All over
the world people's loved ones are returning from beyond. No one knows
how or why this is happening, whether it's a miracle or a sign of the
end. Not even Harold and Lucille can agree on whether the boy is real or
a wondrous imitation, but one thing they know for sure: he's their son.
As chaos erupts around the globe, the newly reunited Hargrave family
finds itself at the center of a community on the brink of collapse,
forced to navigate a mysterious new reality and a conflict that
threatens to unravel the very meaning of what it is to be human.

With
spare, elegant prose and searing emotional depth, award-winning poet
Jason Mott explores timeless questions of faith and morality, love and
responsibility. A spellbinding and stunning debut, The Returned is an
unforgettable story that marks the arrival of an important new voice in
contemporary fiction.'

This book started out slow for me and I thought here's another one that I'm going to have to make myself finish. But curiosity kept me reading to see how it all got explained at the end and I'm so glad it did! A very emotionally stirring read. Gives you a lot to think on. What would you change if you got the chance to say goodbye again to someone you lost? The fear of the unknown, the behavior of mankind. So many different types of relationships explored in this. A teenage love returned, how does it affect your marriage? The family that was murdered and the murderer never found! How does that affect the whole town? A mother with dementia. Would you want them back in your life or would you shut the door on them? What if your loved one didn't return? Are they demons or a miracle? Very good. This book is soon to be a television series on ABC. Of course somethings have been changed for dramatic effect I suppose. I don't understand why they had to change the main characters last names, but... The series is entitled Resurrection and is scheduled to air on March 9th, 2014. Omar Epps from House is in the lead roll as Agent Martin Bellamy. He is perfect for this character. Francis Fisher and Kurtwood Smith play Jacob's parents. I am looking forward to the show, this story will make an excellent TV series!Here's a trailer for the show: